This invention relates to wind deflectors for the rear part of the open pickup truck bed, and is particularly concerned with air deflectors or wind deflectors that minimize drag occurring in the bed of the pickup truck, and which can increase fuel efficiency in the pickup truck. The invention is also concerned with a wind deflector or streamliner that permits the tailgate to be opened and closed when the wind deflector is in place, and which itself can be easily installed and removed without having to bolt or screw into the bed or floor of the truck.
A number of drag reducers or air deflectors have been proposed in the prior art, but these all have significant drawbacks that have prevented them from being widely adopted.
Kuo U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,058 proposes an air current guide that fits into the rear of the pickup truck bed, and can be used to hold tools, etc., in the space under a main guiding plate. Kuo also proposes the use of panels that move sideways to adjust to the width of the truck bed. But Kuo does not provide for holding the device in place on the truck bed, or keeping it from sliding forward during braking. Also, the entire item is fairly massive, and would be difficult for a person to install and remove.
Felker U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,589, Fonseca U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,829, Larsen U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,747, and Corner U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,616 propose wind deflectors of this general type, which are attached by fasteners to the floor or bed of the truck body. Thus these require a great deal of effort to install and remove.
Others have proposed installing aerodynamic surfaces on top of the truck tail gate, and one example of this is found in Burg. U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,020. This approach ignores the major turbulence created at the right angle formed by the tail gate, and only concentrates on the air flowing over the upper lip of the tail gate.
Thus, to date there has been no truly practical streamliner or air deflector proposed for guiding the air efficiently out of the bed of the pickup truck. As a consequence of this, many operators have taken to driving with the tailgate down to cut down on wind resistance. However, this is an unsafe practice, and can result in damage from rear end collisions, even at low speeds. Also, this approach can only be used when the pickup truck bed is completely empty.
What is lacking, and is the problem that this invention resolves, is structure of holding the air deflector or device in place just ahead of the tail gate, attaching to existing structure in the truck bed and/or side panels, so that it can be both sturdy and light weight, and so that it can be easily removed and stored when the operator needs to place a load into the bed of the truck.